The potential coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech has shown strong results based on the additional data released on Monday.
German biotech firm BioNTech and US drugmaker Pfizer have confirmed the safety of their Covid-19 vaccine, which induced an immune response in patients.
The US shares of BioNTech gains 12%, while Pfizer’s stock increased 3.6% in early trading.
They noted that the data manifested an induction of a high level of T-cell responses against the novel coronavirus.
Over 150 possible vaccines currently being developed and tested worldwide to help curb the pandemic. Overall, there are 23 candidates in human clinical trials, including from Moderna and AstraZeneca.
Authorities previously said that it would take 12-18 months to develop a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine.
The Covid-19 vaccine trial from Pfizer and BioNTech invovled 60 healthy volunteers in Germany.
During the trial, volunteers took two doses of the vaccine, and then they produced virus-neutralizing antibodies, which was also what happened to the US trial.
The companies said that the data is accessible on an online preprint server at medrxiv and is undergoing scientific peer-review for potential publication.
Moderna vaccine
The Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial presents promising data, according to a newly released report from the peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine.
Moderna announced that its potential coronavirus vaccine produced a “robust” immune response in all 45 patients during the early stage human trial. With this, Moderna’s stock saw a 16% increase in after-hours trading on the news.
Findings showed that all 45 patients manifested neutralizing antibodies, which scientists consider important for shaping immunity. The clinical trial provided more favorable data that the coronavirus vaccine can protect people from the disease.
The Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial gave each participant a 25, 100 or 250 microgram dose, with 15 people in each dose group. They took two doses of the potential vaccine.
A “robust” immune response in all participants unfolded in all dose cohorts after two vaccinations, according to Moderna. The company added that the levels of neutralizing antibodies in the high dose group were four times higher than in patients who recovered from Covid-19.
“These Phase 1 data demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits a robust immune response across all dose levels and clearly support the choice of 100 µg in a prime and boost regimen as the optimal dose for the Phase 3 study,” Moderna’s chief medical officer, Tal Zaks, said in a statement. “We look forward to beginning our Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273 this month to demonstrate our vaccine’s ability to significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 disease.”
Immunity
Coronavirus immunity may only last within a few months, according to a study in the UK about the longevity of potential coronavirus vaccines.
The team from Kings College London discovered that antibody responses to the coronavirus can reach its top performance after onset of symptoms. However, coronavirus immunity may wane after a little as two months.
The study was published Saturday on preprint server MedRxiv and not yet peer-reviewed. The researchers evaluated the antibody levels of Covid-19 patients, including 64 individuals and six health-care workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation trust between March and June. The study examined 31 other members of staff who volunteered to undergo regular antibody tests.
Findings showed that 60% of the patients examined in the study manifested a “potent” level of antibodies after an average of 23 days following first onset of symptoms. However, only 16.7% revealed that level of antibodies 65 days after the initial signs of symptoms.
